I am so excited to be able to participate in the production of Fires in the Mirror. Fires in the Mirror is a play that delves into the relationships between the Black community, comprised of mostly Carribean American and African American individuals and the Hassidic Jews in the neighborhood of Crown Heights in Brooklyn, New York. I am lucky enough to be playing the part of the Anonymous Young Man #1. While preparing for the role, I was lucky enough to be able to interview with the real person of whom the character was based on. The young man was a real-life individual who lived through the Crown Heights Incident. The man was a handsome young Carribean American man and he wore his hair in dreadlocks. He appeared to be in his late teens or early twenties and was wearing a brightly-colored, loose-fighting shirt. However, the room was dark, so while I was able to just barely make out his features, I was unable to see his specific facial features and I was only able to see his silhouette. In the background of the interview, there was the faint sound of the radio playing in the background. The rest of the room was fairly empty minus three other individuals including a young woman and two other young men. However, while I was originally going to meet with the woman, the interview turned out to be with the Anonymous Young Man who was fairly vocal.
During our discussion, I discovered his story and how he related to the Crown Heights incident. The Young Man was actually walking on the sidewalk when the Gavin Cato was killed. The Young Man told me all about how horrific the accident that he witnessed was and he chronicled the events from the beginning of the day until the end. The story was rather frightening and shocking to hear the story from the account of an individual who was actually there to witness the events. The interesting thing about the interview is the Young Man was one of the only people on the sidewalk when Cato was killed giving a unique side of the story that was prior to, untold. According to the Young Man, the ambulances and the other First Responders were ignoring Cato and the other young girl affected by the car accident. In addition, the Young Man was accused of beating the First Responders even though he did not. Instead, he decided to go home, and in turn, he was arrested for the allegations placed against him. Such a story was an interesting side to such a complex incident.
I hope to be able to portray the Anonymous Young Man #1 to the very best of my abilities. I hope that in my portrayal, I am able to truly recreate the character in a realistic manner because of the intensity of the character's story. His eye-witness account of the death of an eight-year-old is a heart-heavy topic that will be both emotionally and mentally draining to portray. In addition, the colloquial speech and the thick Carribean accent will be difficult to embody on the stage. However, with both my dedication to creating a realistic portrayal and a heartfelt performance to hopefully illustrate to the best of my abilities, the racial and ethnic tensions of the Black and Jewish communities during this time, I believe I will be able to create a stellar and beautiful performance. I hope you will be able to come and see the show!!
Dear Kate,
I am so excited to be able to participate in the production of Fires in the Mirror. Fires in the Mirror is a play that delves into the relationships between the Black community, comprised of mostly Carribean American and African American individuals and the Hassidic Jews in the neighborhood of Crown Heights in Brooklyn, New York. I am lucky enough to be playing the part of the Anonymous Young Man #1. While preparing for the role, I was lucky enough to be able to interview with the real person of whom the character was based on. The young man was a real-life individual who lived through the Crown Heights Incident. The man was a handsome young Carribean American man and he wore his hair in dreadlocks. He appeared to be in his late teens or early twenties and was wearing a brightly-colored, loose-fighting shirt. However, the room was dark, so while I was able to just barely make out his features, I was unable to see his specific facial features and I was only able to see his silhouette. In the background of the interview, there was the faint sound of the radio playing in the background. The rest of the room was fairly empty minus three other individuals including a young woman and two other young men. However, while I was originally going to meet with the woman, the interview turned out to be with the Anonymous Young Man who was fairly vocal.
During our discussion, I discovered his story and how he related to the Crown Heights incident. The Young Man was actually walking on the sidewalk when the Gavin Cato was killed. The Young Man told me all about how horrific the accident that he witnessed was and he chronicled the events from the beginning of the day until the end. The story was rather frightening and shocking to hear the story from the account of an individual who was actually there to witness the events. The interesting thing about the interview is the Young Man was one of the only people on the sidewalk when Cato was killed giving a unique side of the story that was prior to, untold. According to the Young Man, the ambulances and the other First Responders were ignoring Cato and the other young girl affected by the car accident. In addition, the Young Man was accused of beating the First Responders even though he did not. Instead, he decided to go home, and in turn, he was arrested for the allegations placed against him. Such a story was an interesting side to such a complex incident.
I hope to be able to portray the Anonymous Young Man #1 to the very best of my abilities. I hope that in my portrayal, I am able to truly recreate the character in a realistic manner because of the intensity of the character's story. His eye-witness account of the death of an eight-year-old is a heart-heavy topic that will be both emotionally and mentally draining to portray. In addition, the colloquial speech and the thick Carribean accent will be difficult to embody on the stage. However, with both my dedication to creating a realistic portrayal and a heartfelt performance to hopefully illustrate to the best of my abilities, the racial and ethnic tensions of the Black and Jewish communities during this time, I believe I will be able to create a stellar and beautiful performance. I hope you will be able to come and see the show!!
With Love,
Anna Deavere Smith